Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-11-10

shine, drawing its suStenance from the
cool bosom of its mother earth, and, as the
slow years roll by, learning the great mys-
teries Of growth and of decay. And so on
and on through generations, OUTLYING in
dividualS, customs, dynasties-all save the
landscape it adorns and human nature, till
the appointed day when the wind wins the
long battle and rejoices over a reclaimed
space, or decay puts the last stroke to his
fungus-fingered work.
All, one should always think twice before
one cuts down a treel
In the evenings it was customary for Sir
Henry, Good, and myself, to dine or rather
sup with their Majesties-not every night,
indeed, but about three or four times a
week, whenever they had not much COM
pany, or the affairs of state would allow Of
it. And / am bound to say that those little
supperS were quite the most charming
things of their sort that I ever had to do
with How true is the saying that the
very highest in rank are always the most
simple and kindly. 1t is from your half
and-half sort of people that you get pomp-
osity and vulgarity; the difference between
the two being very much what one sees
every day in England between the old,
and the over-bearing, purse proud people
who come and "take the place" [ really
think that Nyleptha's greatest charm is
her sweet simplicity and her kindly, genu-
inc interest even in little things. She is
the simplest woman ever Knew, and,
where her passions are not involved, one
of the sweetest; but she can look queenly
enough when she likes, and be as fierce as
any savage, too.
For instance, never. shall I forget that
scene when for the first time was sure
that she was really in love with Curtis. 1t
came about in this way-all through Good S
weakness for ladies' society. When we
had been employed for some three months
in learning Zu-Vendi, it struck Master
Good that he was getting rather tired of
the old gentlemen who did us the honor to
lead us in the way that we should go, so
he proceeded, without saying word to
anybody else, to inform them that it was a
peculiar fact, but that we could not make
any real progress iii the deeper intricacies
of foreign language unless we were
taught by ladies--young ladies, he was
careful to explain. In his own country, he
pointed out, it was habitual to choose the
very best looking and most charming girls
who could be found to instruct any stran-
gers who happened to come that way, etc.
All of this the old gentlemen swallowed
open-mouthed There was, they admitted,
reason in what he said, since the contem-
plation of the beautiful as their philosophy
taught induced a certain porosity of mind
similar to that produced upon the physical
body by the healthful influences of sun and
air. Consequently it was probable that we
Y IL
faster if suitable teachers could be found.
Another thing was that. as the female sex
was naturally ioquacious, good practice
would be gained in the TiUG U0ce depart
ment of our studies.
To all of this Good gravely assented, and
the learned gentlemen departed, assuring
him that their orders were to fall in with
our wishes in every way, and, that if posi-
BILE. our views should be met.
Imagine, therefore, the surprise and dis
gust of myself and [ trust and believe Sir
Henry, when, the following morning, on
entering the room where we We're accus-
toned to carry on our studies, we found
instead of our usual venerable tutors three
of the best-looking young women whom
MiloSis could prOduce-and that is saying
a good deal-who blushed and smiled and
courteSied, and gave us to understand that
they were there to carry on our instruction.
Then Good as we gazed aJ one another in
bewllderment, thought fit to eXplain-say-
ing that it had slipped mis- memory before
that the old gentleman had told him, on
the previous evening, that it was absolute
ly necessary that our further education
should be carried on by the other sex ]
was appalled,, and appealed to Sir Henry
for advice in such a crisis.
"Well," he said, you see the ladies are
here, arn't they? If we sent them away,
don't you think it might hurt their feelings,
eh? One doesn't like to be rough you see:
and they look regular bloIes, don't they,
eh?"
By this time Good had already begun his
lessons with the haudsomest of the three,
and SO with a sigh [ yielded. That day
everything went very well, the young Ia
dies were certainly very clever, and they
only smiled when we blundered. l never
saw Good so attentive to his books before,
and even Sir Henry appeared to tackle Zu-
Vendi with renewed Zest. "Ah," thought
/, will it always be thus?"
Next day we were much more lively; our
work was pleasingly interspersed with
questions about our native country, what
the ladies were like there, etc., all of which
we answered as best we could in Zu-Vendi;
and l heard Good assuring his teacher that
her loneliness was to the beauties of Europe
as the sun to the moon, to which she re-
piled with little toss of the head that she
was plain teaching woman and nothing
else, and that it was not kind '1to deceive
a poor girl So" Then we had little sing
ing that was really charming, so natural
and unaffected. The Zu-Vendi 1ove-songs
are most touching. On the third day we
were all quite intimate; Good narrated
some of his previous love affairs to his fair
teacher and so moved was she that her
tears were mingled with his own. / dis
courSed with mine, merry blue-eyed girl,
upon Zu-Vendian art, and never saw that
she was waiting for an opportunity to drop
a specimen of the cockroach tribe down
my back; whilst in the corner Sir Henry
and his governess appeared, SO far as ]
could judge, to be going through a lesson
framed on the great educational principles
laid down by Wackford Squeers, Esq.
though in a very modified or rather spirit